My Tiny Friend
by Sarah Soprano
Summary: Remember the Obelisk War, and the Kacheek with the robot? Sweet little Katie didn't always have her metal companion. Read "My Tiny Friend" to find out the origin of the robot, Tiny, and learn what it truly means to be a Seeker! (Published in issue 599 of the Neopian Times) For Randy Williams, the smartest uncle in the world. R.I.P


"Give me back my glasses right now, Vector!"

Young and timid Katie, a petite yellow Kacheek with ginger pigtails, was now cornered by the trio of menacing bullies.

"Or what?" Vector, the large green Skeith, sneered. He loomed over Katie, dangling her round glasses just out of reach.

Katie jumped with all her might to reach her oversized eyeglasses, but it was no use. "Or I'll tell on you!"

"Oh, dear me," the Red Scorchio, Javier, whined sarcastically. "Little baby Katie is going to tell on us? What ever shall we do?"

Rich, a scrawny blue Draik, got up in Katie's face. "Hey four eyes, how are you going to find your way to the teacher without your sight?"

"I am NOT four eyes!" Katie screamed.

"Oh, that's right," Vector laughed, "you don't have this piece of junk, so you couldn't be four eyes." He shook the frames vigorously. "You're just BLIND!"

"I am not blind!"

"Oh yeah?" Vector teased, "how many fingers am I holding up?" He held out one hand, Katie's glasses still held high in the other.

Katie squinted. The number of fingers were switching from four, to two, to three, and four again...

"Four."

"HA!" Vector belted. "It's two, silly girl! Looks like you've got a case of double vision!"

"Hey, hey Katie," Javier taunted, "how many of us are there? Six?"

Rich hissed. "Hey, how many glasses do you see?"

Vector shoved the blue Draik aside. "She probably can't even see them from down there. No wonder she can't catch them!" He shook the delicate frames. "Don't you see them, Katie? They're right in front of you!"

Katie continued to leap at her glasses, in hopes that she could miraculously get a hold of them. "You, Vector Von Wagner, are a cruel, stuck up, heartless and insensitive bully!"

"And you, Katie Lambert," Vector spoke her last name as if it were an insult, "are a tiny, meek, pathetic little shrimp!"

Katie jumped with all her might to grab her glasses, but knocked Vector off balance instead. Vector toppled to the ground, the stolen glasses flying out of his grip and crashing downward with a crack.

Not too far away, a teacher had heard the quarrel and came running to the rescue. A kind pink Shoyru woman flapped her wings to pick up speed. In an instant, the bullies were on the run, tearing around the corner and escaping past the playground. Poor Katie was left flailing her paw around to find her glasses, and though she dare not admit it, crying her eyes out.

"I've got you, sweetie," the Shoyru lady said, picking up the glasses and putting them in Katie's hand. "Would you like me to Neomail your uncle?"

The little Kacheek put the shattered glasses in her pocket, squinting her eyes. "Yes, please..."

"I'll have Gladstone fix them as soon as possible," the Gnorbu placed the glasses on his desk, his own spectacles resting on his face in one piece. "Do you think you can handle wearing your old ones for the time being?"

"I guess I'll manage," Katie sighed, putting on the old glasses her eyes had grown out of last year. She no longer saw double of her uncle Lambert, but a single blurry image still remained. "Vector Von Wagner is such a mean, cruel, horrible-"

"Now, now, Katie," Professor Lambert interrupted, "remember to use your vocabulary words."

"Sorry," Katie moaned, continuing the descriptions. "Scurrilous, impudent, churlish..." She searched for the last word through her mind. "...Brusque... person."

"A bit improper on that last one, but very impressive nonetheless," Professor Lambert chimed, stacking up a couple of manuals. "You'll need to broaden your knowledge of vocabulary if you are to become an official member of the Seekers. Of course, knowing my little niece, that would hardly be a challenge."

Katie stared off at one of the thousands of books, unable to read any titles even if she stood directly in front of them. "Why are you letting me join? I'm only ten years old. Is it just because I'm your family?"

"I don't believe in special treatment," her uncle stated. "You are a member because of your innate talent of craftsmanship. You may be young, but imagination is strong in youth. The Seekers always need creative inventions." He continued rearranging his textbooks.

"Uncle Lambert," Katie began, "I know you're the leader of the Seekers and everything, but..." Her voice began to trail off. "What's so special about the group?"

The professor couldn't suppress a chuckle. "My dear, the appropriate question would be, what isn't special about the Seekers?"

Katie twisted a pencil in her ginger locks of hair. "What do we do that is so important? The other kids at school say we're a bunch of snooty nerds..." She murmured _nerds_ as if it was a horribly profane word.

Professor Lambert set down his books and turned to face Katie. Her face was red, and her eyes wouldn't meet his face.

"Katie," he asked in a warm tone, "what do the Seekers mean to you?"

She chewed on the eraser of the pencil. "We're all super smart people that learn new things."

Her uncle Lambert smiled. "That is but a mere fraction of our ambition, my dear." He stood up and took a seat in a velvet chair beside her. "The Seekers consist of Neopians of various talents who use their gifts to discover new ways to make Neopia a better place for all."

"Yes, but..." She set the pencil down. "I'm not quite sure what I'm saying. I think I'm just confused about myself. "

Sandro, the Seekers' head philosopher, handed Katie and Professor Lambert two cups of tea. He smiled under his mop of fluffy blonde hair.

"What is it that confuses you?" her uncle asked, taking a sip of his tea.

Katie watched the tiny tea leaves swivel about the bottom of the cup. "I just feel... worthless. I'm the smallest girl in school. I'm always last when running." Her eyes stayed locked on the specks of leaves. "All I'm good for is tinkering with metal. That doesn't sound as important as being strong like everyone else."

Professor Lambert watched her delicate eyes fill with uncertainty and doubt. He no longer saw his playful niece, but instead, a young soul with lost hope.

"My dear," he consoled, "do you wish you were more competent in physical strength, rather than your own mental strength?"

"Of course," Katie whimpered, flicking away a tear. "If it'll stop the others from bullying me, I'd wish to change anything about myself."

Professor Lambert gestured for Katie to sit in his lap. She hobbled over, sobbing into his arms. The insightful Gnorbu looked up at the copper coated ceiling, the glass in his spectacles reflecting the brilliant lights that shone down upon him and his precious niece.

"Do you remember what I would tell you when you were barely walking?"

Katie snorted. Her uncle told her a lot of things when she was little. Not a single one stuck in her memory.

Her uncle blinked at the lights and sighed. "Talents."

That single word, mixed with the thoughts of her toddlerhood, triggered her recollection. _Talents._ How could she have not remembered the story?

"We are all born with our talents for a purpose," Katie recited.

"And we should use our talents to help conquer our weaknesses," Uncle Lambert finished. "This goes for everyone, not only those of the Seekers. My little Katie, I think it is time for you to discover how you can use your gift of craftsmanship to your advantage."

Katie gave an uncertain frown. "How?"

"Oh, I know you far too well," he chuckled, "you will find a way. Promise."

That promise was enough to spark Katie's imagination and get the gears in her mind whirling.

"I think I've got it."

The professor smiled. "That's the Katie I know."

Katie gave her uncle a huge hug, bid him farewell as he went back to work, and rushed to her room to grab as much scrap metal and supplies as she could.

The young Kacheek didn't dare sleep as she worked on her largest project yet. The sound of power tools and electricity created a beautiful medley in Katie's ears. The scent of vibrant metallic paint was an exquisite perfume.

Sparks flew from her tools as she put the final mechanical touches on her creation. The small lights positioned as eyes blinked on brightly.

"Hey there, little guy," Katie giggled.

A smile made of needle-sized lights spread across the metal plating.

Katie had never felt more proud of herself. She clicked a small gold button on the peak of the robot's head, and it immediately grew five times her own size. The contraption bleeped happily.

"You need a name..." Katie thought out loud. "Titanic? Giant? Jumbotron?"

The lights forming a smile turned upside down.

Then Katie started thinking out of the box. "You're right, one shouldn't have to live up to their name..." Her mind was boggled. "What if I call you Tiny? That way you can defy what anyone would think of you!"

The lights forming the mouth flipped right side up again.

"Tiny it is, then," Katie looked straight into the blinking lights. "Will you help me stand up against the bullies at school?"

The hinges in Tiny's neck nodded and squeaked in approval.

Katie smiled brightly as she climbed up and took a seat on Tiny's shoulder.

"You're the best robot a girl could ask for," Katie chimed. "Now let's show those bullies who's boss."

As usual, little Katie wasn't on campus for long without being confronted by Vector and his pals.

"Hey, shrimp! Where do you think you're going?"

Vector, nearly double Katie's size, came charging toward her. Javier and Rich closely followed behind. Katie abnormally didn't even make a move to run away, but instead stood right where she was.

"Well?" Vector interrogated, "are you going to start running?"

Katie threw her hands on her hips. "I'm not scared of you, Vector Von Wagner!" She turned to the pint sized metal keychain on her backpack.

"Here's your moment to shine, Tiny!"

"Who're you talking to, Katie?" Javier mocked, "your imaginary friend?"

Katie smirked. "They're a friend alright," her finger headed for the golden button, "but certainly not imaginary!"

_Click._

The small keychain on Katie's backpack quickly transformed itself into the large metallic robot known as Tiny. The shiny silver panels reflected the sunbeams, giving off a radiant light. The glass globe covering Tiny's head shimmered in the golden rays. Tiny's green-lit eyes glistened in excitement.

The bullies looked absolutely dumbfounded. Katie swiftly climbed up Tiny's back and sat on his shoulder. She pushed up her glasses, grinning wildly.

"Say hello to my _tiny_ friend."

**The End**


End file.
